Changes to gun laws in the U.S. will come, just not any time too soon

“In the 1960s the average gun owner owned about 2.5 guns, today the average gun owner owns eight guns. So mostly the increase in gun purchases are by people who already own guns.”

Author of Guns Across America, Robert Spitzer, spoke with Simi Sara about yesterday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.

Spitzer is a Professor & Department Chair at the Political Science Department at the State University of New York at Cortland . He’s also the author of five books on gun policy, including Guns Across America.

On San Bernardino

Spitzer says when he heard that there were two shooters, he immediately began to wonder about the circumstances.

“As soon as you have two or more people, it’s a conspiracy, and when it became clear early on that there was a high degree of planning and forethought, and preparation – that began to change my sense of what was going on.”

He says the most frequent characteristics among mass shootings in the U.S. these days is people who have mental problems, anger issues, people who are acting alone, and people who are often both homicidal and suicidal.

“But none of those things were at play in this particular incident.”

Spitzer says the details that emerged about the suspects who were killed, that they were Muslim and Islamic, throws into the mix the suggestion of other political issues at play, and whether or not it was a political act.

“Whether it’s an expression of religious belief, or an anti-government expression, or an interpersonal dispute. It’s hard to know right now.”

Police have said the male was at the event with co-workers, had a verbal altercation, left the party and then returned twenty minutes later with weapons.

“In military-style gear with two assault-style rifles, and two handguns, large capacity bullet magazines with them. And with explosives, which isn’t something you can swing by the store and pick up on your way to an event. So they clearly had prepared those, and that was part of the long term preparation [that was] obviously behind this.”

Have Americans become immune to mass shootings?

Spitzer says to a certain extent Americans have become numbed by the repetitive nature of these events.

“Especially because they receive so much attention, and understandably so. We have a vigorous and free press, we have 24 hour news channels, we have the internet. So we are inundated with the information, and it’s good because it informs us. But it also has the unfortunate effect of causing people to people to slowly tune this out.”

This can also lead to a sense of hopelessness that nothing can be done, which feeds the narrative for those who oppose changes in gun laws, like the NRA.

The uphill climb to change gun laws

The argument on the NRA’s side is that more guns make it safer, but in reality having a gun will not necessarily protect a person in a mass shooting situation.

“In the real world of these events, they’re so chaotic, so frenetic, so brief, that the idea that a civilian, an amateur with a handgun could help the situation, is slim to none. And the idea that they might make the situation worse, or even get themselves shot being mistaken for a bad person, is very great.”

Some American gun laws do have overwhelming public support to change:

Currently, people on the government’s terrorist watch list are allowed to buy guns legally.

A whopping 40% of gun purchases occur with no background check whatsoever, though New York state has enacted their own law for background checks, to good effect.

Why change to gun laws is inevitable

Spitzer says he thinks in the long run changes will happen, but not in the near future.

“Partly because of public opinion on the side of change, partly because there’s some new interest groups that have for the time in history outspent the National Rifle Association in political campaigns – that’s a brand new phenomenon.

And thirdly because fewer and fewer Americans own guns, use guns or are interested in guns. It’s a declining demographic in American society.

It’s mostly an activity engaged in by older white males, and that’s just becoming a smaller and smaller percentage of the country as a whole.”

Wishful thinking on someone’s part. Will never happen. More guns and small arms are owned by the U.S. general public than are owned by their military. And to be honest, if I lived in the States, I’d carry a piece on me at all times…

This is as silly as it can get….guns do not kill people…..evil people do…..and no matter what laws you put in place…..are evil people going to obey the law…..so it all becomes just ridiculous…..As someone just said….. and he speaks the truth….tyranny loves unarmed citizens…..

Thy are stopping people that are just enthusiastic Gun shooter’s in targets or in competitions so much inconvenience in buying ammo! it used to be people would buy just and few boxes of Cartridges and go off to the range to have some fun in just shooting their rifles to learn how they shoot and to make them accurate! Most responsible gun owner’s have metal Cabinets to store the firearms and have the bolts and or magazines locked up in a different area and the munitions in another! all Firearms will have a trigger lock! While most will be useless to fire if stolen! the reason in these cases to have plenty of ammo is stockpiling that is the problem thee days if the ammo get’s to the store people will spend big money to get their 5thousand rounds so they don’t have to wait for the next shipment 3mos away ! Responsible Hunter’s or firearm enthusiast’s find owning a rifle a privilege, to be able to hunt for one’s dinner plate, as the price of a steak is inflated like a vancouver special!

The guns in circulation, even in a country with restrictions, will always ensure a supply for ne’er do wells.
Personal beliefs, mental illness and revenge will always ensure the supply of ne’er do wells.